Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
In Privacy Lawsuit, Michigan To Destroy 3 Million Baby Blood Samples
AP: Michigan To Destroy Some Blood Spots In Fight Over Consent
The state of Michigan has agreed to destroy more than 3 million dried blood spots taken from babies and kept in storage, a partial settlement in an ongoing lawsuit over consent and privacy in the digital age. At the state’s direction, hospitals have routinely pricked the heels of newborns to draw blood to check for more than 50 rare diseases. That practice, which is widespread across the U.S., isn’t being challenged. Rather, the dispute is over leftover samples. (White, 6/23)
In other health news from across the U.S. —
Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi Supreme Court Rules On Mental Competence In Post-Conviction
Prisoners on death row in Mississippi will no longer have to be mentally competent in order for their post-conviction review process to go forward, after a state supreme court decision Tuesday. The court's ruling, which overturned 26 years of precedent in the state, involved Stephen Elliott Powers, who was convicted of murder and attempted rape in 2000 and sentenced to death. On June 13, 1998, Powers killed 27-year-old Elizabeth "Beth" Lafferty in Hattiesburg. Evidence pointed to attempted rape, a charge that elevated the crime to capital murder. Powers admitted to shooting Lafferty five times but denied that he ever tried to rape her. (Perlis, 6/24)
The Washington Post: Virginia Board Of Health Reprimands Health Commissioner
Virginia Board of Health members on Thursday told Health Commissioner Colin Greene that his comments dismissing evidence of structural racism in health outcomes and calling gun violence a political talking point damaged the health department, its employees and marginalized communities. After questioning Greene for nearly an hour, the board passed a resolution expressing members’ “embarrassment” over his views and advised him not to publicly question “basic scientific facts regarding disparities.” (Portnoy, 6/23)
The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Might Lose Out On A New $1 Billion Federal Medical Research Accelerator
At his State of the Union speech in March, President Joe Biden urged Congress to fund a new federal agency that would “supercharge” breakthrough medical research and “end cancer as we know it.” Congress responded two weeks later by approving $1 billion for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H, which will tackle projects that are seen as too costly, risky or time-intensive for the private sector and traditional public research. In Maryland, research institutions, labs, pharmaceutical companies and biotech startups have long had a close, symbiotic relationship with the numerous federal health agencies already located here, but federal leaders and lawmakers think it might be time now for some distance. (Bologna and Cohn, 6/24)
San Francisco Chronicle: California Air Pollution Ranks Worst In Nation Due To Wildfire Smoke
California’s record wildfire season two years ago dished up some of the worst and most memorable air pollution in modern times - the smoke, the dark skies, the eerie orange glow of the sun. But just how bad it was, and what the toll of the unhealthy air will be on people and communities, is a matter that’s still coming to light. A new report finds that California was home to 19 of the 20 worst counties in the nation for particulate pollution in 2020. If sustained, these pollution levels could shave months, if not years, off the lives of residents, according to the Air Quality Life Index, published this month by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago. (Alexander, 6/23)
The Baltimore Sun: Baltimore’s Water System Contains PFAS Chemicals At Levels Above New EPA Health Advisory
Baltimore’s water system, which serves 1.8 million homes and businesses in the city and Baltimore County, contains measurable levels of so-called “forever chemicals” that the EPA said last week pose health risks even at minute levels. The chemicals known as PFAS, used in firefighting foams and in consumer products for their nonstick and stain-resistant properties, were found in the system at a concentration of 4.93 parts per trillion, according to a city Department of Public Works report. (Dance, 6/23)
Wyoming Public Radio: A Museum Exhibit In Sheridan Tells The Story Of Native American Healthcare On Montana Reservations
The Museum at the Bighorns in Sheridan is hosting a temporary exhibit that tells the story of healthcare and healing practices on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations in Montana. It’s from the collection from of the Western Heritage Center in Billings, Mont. “Baá Hawassiio & Ènomóhtåhéseh: Healthcare on the Crow & Northern Cheyenne Reservations” has been on display at other museums and will continue to make the rounds after it leaves Sheridan. “One of the reasons why we wanted to get this exhibit was because it’s a topic that people don’t know anything about,” said Jessica Salzman, Collections Manager for the Museum at the Bighorns. “Yes, the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations are technically across the Montana border [but] the people that live there came to Sheridan to shop, they were part of the community here, and they still are.” (Cook, 6/23)
Salt Lake Tribune: Utahns Experiencing Homelessness For The First Time Ticked Up For The First Time In Years. Here’s Why
The number of Utahns experiencing homelessness for the first time rose last year, and state officials believe pandemic-fueled turmoil and surging housing prices may be to blame. The Utah Office of Homeless Services’ annual report, released Wednesday, found the number of first-time homeless Utahns jumped by 14% from fiscal 2020 to 2021, representing the first time in five years that metric has spiked. (The federal fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.) Joseph Jensen, data manager of the state office, said officials are studying the extent to which the pandemic and housing costs are affecting homelessness. Utah, he said, is still seeing more people access assistance programs — even if they aren’t experiencing homelessness. (Apgar, 6/22)
